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Republican vs. Republican

State Senator Glenn Grothman, (R) West Bend, takes on Republican incumbent, Congressman Tom Petri, in a race he says is about what it means to be a true conservative.

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Updated: 9:00 AM CDT Apr 6, 2014

Republican vs. Republican

State Senator Glenn Grothman, (R) West Bend, takes on Republican incumbent, Congressman Tom Petri, in a race he says is about what it means to be a true conservative.

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Updated: 9:00 AM CDT Apr 6, 2014

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WEBVTT TODAY ON "UPFRONT" -- REPUBLICAN VERSUS REPUBLICAN. STATE SENATOR GLENN GROTHMAN TAKES ON VETERAN CONGRESSMAN TOM PETRI. WHAT'S BEHIND THE CHALLENGE? THEN, THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR. SHE DECIDED AGAINST RUNNING AFTER BEING INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. TODAY, STATE SENATOR KATHLEEN VINEHOUT ON THE CANDIDATES, THE CAMPAIGN, AND HER RECOVERY. PLUS, THE RACIAL ACHIEVEMENT GAP. SUPERINTENDENT DEMOND MEANS ON WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO CLOSE IT. COVERING THE ISSUES IMPORTANT TO WISCONSIN. THIS IS "UPFRONT WITH MIKE GOUSHA." HELLO AGAIN EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO UPFRONT. THE AUGUST PRIMARY IN WISCONSIN JUST GOT A LOT MORE INTERESTING. THE INCUMBENT IN THE SIXTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT, REPUBLICAN TOM PETRI, WILL FACE A SERIOUS CHALLENGE FROM A TEA PARTY FAVORITE. A LAWYER, PETRI WAS FIRST ELECTED TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE IN 1973, AND WAS ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN 1979. PETRI DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS A "PERSISTENT FOE OF GOVERNMENT WASTE." BUT PETRI WILL HAVE COMPETITION. LAST THURSDAY, STATE SENATOR GLENN GROTHMANN OF WEST BEND ANNOUNCED HIS DECISION TO RUN FOR THE SEAT IN EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. HE SAID HE'S FRUSTRATED BY A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HE CALLS OUT OF CONTROL. GROTHMAN SAID "THE CURRENT CONGRESSMAN FROM THE 6TH DISTRICT IS A DECENT, GENIAL PERSON. NEVERTHELESS HE DOES NOT HAVE THE SENSE OF URGENCY THAT IS NECESSARY. SENATOR GROTHMAN JOINS US TODAY. GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE. SENATOR GROTHMAN, WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. I'M HONORED TO BE ON THE SHOW. TELL US WHAT YOU ARE A BETTER CHOICE THAN CONGRESSMAN PETRI. WE HAVE A FRUSTRATION WITH THE POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON. WE SEND POLITICIANS TO WASHINGTON TO REIN IN SPENDING. THE LAST 20 YEARS, GOVERNMENT SPENDING HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF. A HUGE DEBT THAT WILL HAVE TO BE PAID BY OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. WORSE, IT MAKES US INDEBTED OR OWNED BY FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS. ANY TIME THEY DECIDE NOT TO LOAN US MONEY IT CAUSES HUGE PROBLEMS. WE HAVE THIS CULTURE OF DEPENDENCIES. THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON FOOD STAMPS HAS TRIPLED. WITH IT COMES NOT ONLY THE BREAKDOWN OF WORK ETHIC, BUT THE BREAKDOWN OF THE FAMILY. I DO NOT SEE A SENSE OF URGENCY AMONG THE REPUBLICANS IN CHANGING THAT. YOU MUST REMEMBER THE REPUBLICANS IN THE EARLY DECADES -- I GUESS YOU WOULD CALL IT THE ZEROES, THEY DID NOT DO ANYTHING. THIS IS SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO YOUR RACE AGAINST THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MARY PANZER, WERE ESSENTIALLY YOU ARGUED SHE WAS NOT CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH. ABOUT I THINK HOW GROSSMAN -- CONGRESSMAN PETRI IS BASICALLY THE WITH THE FLOW, SPEND A LITTLE MORE HERE, SPEND A LITTLE MORE THERE. YOU DO THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR, YOU ARE IN HUGE TROUBLE. LET'S LOOK AT HIS RECORD. HE VOTED AGAINST OBAMA CARE THE NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. VOTED AGAINST TARP. VOTED AGAINST THE STIMULUS PACKAGE. HAS A STRONG CONSERVATIVE RECORD ON PRO-LIFE ISSUES. WHY IS HE NOT CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH? I THINK WHEN THE REPUBLICANS WERE IN CHARGE, THEY WERE NOT CONSERVATIVE ENOUGH. I GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. ONE THAT DROVE ME UP THE WALL WAS NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. YOU DO THIS MASSIVE INCREASE IN EDUCATION. WHEN IT CAME TIME TO DECIDE HOW LARGE THAT INCREASE WAS, YOU HAD PEOPLE LIKE PAUL RYAN WHO TRY TO KEEP THAT INCREASE DOWN. AND PEOPLE LIKE TOM PETRI WHO WERE FOR A BIGGER INCREASE. I LOOK AT THAT AND THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO LEADERSHIP TO REIN IN THOSE INCREASES. IT SCARES ME. ELIGIBILITY FOR FOOD STAMPS, ANOTHER ONE. ALBEIT, MOST REPUBLICANS WENT ALONG WITH IT, YOU'VE GOT TO WONDER. SHOULDN'T WE PUT THE BRAKES ON SOMETIMES? ARE YOU BOTHERED THAT CONGRESSMAN RYAN AND CONGRESSMAN DUFFY SAY THEY ARE GOING TO BACK TOM PETRI IN THIS RACE? NO, YOU HAVE TO EXPECT THE REPUBLICAN ESTABLISHMENT TO CIRCLE THE WAGONS AND GET BEHIND TOM. I EXPECT COMMERCIALS WITH NOT ONLY DUFFY, MAYBE JIM SENSENBRENNER, STANDING BEHIND TOM PETRI. I LOOKED AT YOUR STATEMENT YESTERDAY. THE NEWSPAPER CHAIN DIDN'T INVESTIGATION AND SAID CONGRESSMAN PETRI BUT HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS OF STOCK IN THE OSHKOSH CORPORATION AND TRIED TO PRESSURE COLLEAGUES TO BACK A CONTINUED 3 BILLION-DOLLAR CONTRACT FOR OSHKOSH CORPORATION. IS THAT FAIR GAME? I'M NOT GOING TO USE IT. I'M NOT GOING TO USE IT BECAUSE I THINK CONGRESSMAN PETRI IS A DECENT INDIVIDUAL. HE SAID HE TALKED TO THE EXPERTS IN WASHINGTON YOU SAID IT WAS OK. I SUSPECT ANY CONGRESSMAN FROM THE DISTRICT WOULD HAVE BEEN AT THAT FOR OSHKOSH. THE CAMPAIGN SHOULD NOT BE ABOUT WHETHER CONGRESSMAN PETRI SOUGHT TO ART FOR OSHKOSH. DO YOU EXPECT TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY FOR A RACE LIKE THIS? CONGRESSMAN PETRI HAS PERSONAL WEALTH. HE COULD USE IT. I EXPECT HIM TO OUTSPEND ME FIVE OR 621. THE QUESTION IS, DO I HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GET MY MESSAGE OUT? IF I RUN TWO ADS FOR AN HOUR, IT DOES NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. MY GOAL IS TO GET THE WORD OUT. AS I HAVE RUN AROUND THE DISTRICT, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE I DO. THEY WILL BE VERY RECEPTIVE TO MY MESSAGE, EVEN THOUGH THE THEY WILL NOT HEAR IT ON RADIO OR SEE IT ON TV AS MUCH AS CONGRESSMAN PETRI. I THINK WE WILL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO GET MY NAME OUT. I REFERRED TO YOU EARLIER AS A TEA PARTY FAVORITE. IT IS THAT ACCURATE? OH, I HAVE SPOKEN TO TEA PARTIES IN FOND DU LAC AND CHEBOYGAN COUNTY. I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING THEM HELP ME. YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT. WHY IS THAT NOT AN ISSUE? I REPRESENTED SO MANY DISTRICTS. I REPRESENTED OZAUKEE COUNTY FOR 14 YEARS. I WOULD NOT HAVE TO MOVE. IT IS NOT UNPRECEDENTED NOT TO MOVE AFTER YOU'RE ELECTED. I WILL MOVE TO FOND DU LAC COUNTY. I AM AROUND THERE SO FREQUENTLY, I DO NOT CONSIDER IT A PROBLEM. AT THE END OF THE DAY REPUBLICANS ARE CHALLENGING REPUBLICANS IN PRIMARIES. IS THAT GOOD FOR YOUR PARTY? IT'S A NECESSITY. IF YOU ARE DISSATISFIED WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT, I DON'T SEE AN ALTERNATIVE. SOME PEOPLE SAY WE SHOULD WAIT FOR OR SIX YEARS FOR TOM PETRI TO RETIRE. GLENN GROTHMAN, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. WE APPRECIATE IT. WHEN WE COME BACK, A SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT SIDELINED HER FROM THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR. STATE SENATOR KATHLEEN VINEHOUT WILL JOIN US TO TALK ABOUT HER RECOVERY AND THE MATCH UP BETWEEN GOVERNOR WALKER AND MARY BURKE. "UPFRONT WITH MIKE

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Republican vs. Republican

State Senator Glenn Grothman, (R) West Bend, takes on Republican incumbent, Congressman Tom Petri, in a race he says is about what it means to be a true conservative.